Dish drying mats and racks are well known articles of manufacture, which provide an area to dry and store various types of kitchenware, such as plates, bowls, glasses, utensils, etc. Generally, a dish drying rack includes a base and a plurality of drainage slots operatively arranged to hold and dry kitchenware. Similarly, a dish drying mat also provides an area to dry and store various types of kitchenware. However, drying mats typically include a cushioned planar surface instead of a base and plurality of drainage slots as seen in drying racks. Over the years, many devices have been developed to make the process of cleaning and drying dishes more efficient. Automatic, electric dishwasher appliances are well known, but expensive, and not affordable by everyone. Therefore, there is a continuing need for improved devices and methods for the manual washing and drying of dishes, flatware, cookware, and the like.
After being washed, dishes are usually placed in a drying rack on a countertop adjacent to a sink to expedite the air-drying process. A problem with prior dish drying racks is that some require the use of a towel underneath the rack to prevent water runoff from accumulating on the counter and subsequent spilling over onto the floor.
Another problem with prior dish drying racks is that some do not include an area for holding utensils. In these racks, the utensils tend to fall through the drainage slots onto the towel beneath the dish drying rack, and thus, never properly dry. While there are prior dish drying racks that do include a separate utensil area, they tend to be large and bulky, and therefore, difficult to clean and store.
A problem with prior dish drying mats is that most do not include any type of divisor, recess, or channel for holding plates vertically or for holding utensils. Therefore, it is difficult to dry and store a plurality of plates simultaneously on a drying mat as they plates occupy a large volume of space when stored horizontally on a drying mat.
Thus, there is a long-felt need for a combination dish drying mat and rack that includes a rack portion which rests upon a mat portion to allow water to runoff through apertures in the rack and be absorbed by the mat. There is also a long-felt need for an aesthetically pleasing combination dish drying rack and mat, from which water runoff can flow through the rack and be absorbed by the mat below. In addition, there is a long-felt need for a combination dish drying rack and mat that includes both a dishware area and a utensil area as well as the ability to be dismantled and folded for easy cleaning and compact storage.